


Oban: Lingering Connections.

by eilaf_b3



Category: Oban Star-Racers
Genre: Angst and Feels, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Jordan Needs a Hug, Minor Original Character(s), Post-Canon, Slow Burn, emotional stress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26228701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eilaf_b3/pseuds/eilaf_b3
Summary: The events of the Great Race of Oban left its impact on various parts and people of the galaxy, especially the young partners of the Earth Team.Now that their route have parted between Earth and Oban, what will happen to Eva and the new Avatar Jordan?
Relationships: Don Wei/Maya Wei, Eva "Molly" Wei/Jordan Wilde, Rick Thunderbolt/Don Wei
Kudos: 4





	1. Thoughts off the Planet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As happy as Eva's new life on Earth seems to be, something is holding her back, and her thoughts keep wandering away.

It was another one of those regular days, when the normality of life would convince her that last year was merely a dream. 

_But it wasn't._

Everything around Eva was simply background noise as she stared out a window, her face blank with sheer boredom, boredom that lured her mind to get lost in deep thoughts. 

Thoughts about how boring today was, how calm and slow, and how different it would've been if she was still there in outer space, if she was still occupied with racing, with surviving life threatening situations, with winning a prize that'd make her dreams come true, or so she had thought. 

Quite a train of thoughts it was, but it was soon cut as her teacher's voice snapped her back into reality. _"Miss Wei!"_

"Huh?" Eva finally turned to Mrs. Daniels, the teacher of her math class, face blank with soft confusion, the teacher looked back at her with a disapproving scowl however, hands on her hips as she spoke up again. "I'd really appreciate it if you keep your focus _inside_ the classroom, not on whatever is so interesting outside the building." The woman spoke through her remaining scowl.

Eva's relaxed figure jerked up slightly, she finally realized that she was losing focus in class. "I- uhh.." She tried to come up with an excuse, hands huddling in front of her as she straightened her back, trying to put a more polite front. The faint sound of other kids snickering was heard, they found Eva's struggle amusing, but their voices weren't low enough for Mrs. Daniels to not hear, and that seemed to annoy her even more. "Pay attention! Everyone." She said sharply, giving Eva a quick scolding look before going back to the lesson. 

Eva sighed through her nostrils when the teacher turned her back to the class, she was truly living up to her "Teacher's least favorite student" title wasn't she? 

With a silent huff, the girl took her pencil between her fingers and tried to pay attention and take notes, her tries to focus in class always seemed to end with failure, and that wasn't something her teachers liked, not at all.

It's true this wasn't The Stern Boarding School, but as much nicer as it was, Eva was failing at giving a good impression in her new school, the teachers weren't very pleased with how low her marks turned out, it wasn't her fault that she had family drama to deal with, what made her less attentive to schoolwork, but neither did they like her looks, the red dye job on her hair, her tattoos, her ear piercings, all that helped radiate the rebellious energy, heck some teachers even eyed her goggles with judgmental glances. 

All that put together, she was like a sore thumb among the other students...again. Even most of her classmates seemed to avoid her, not that she wasn't a friendly person, but students' parents hearing about the new girl with the tattoos made them rather concerned, what earned most of the kids orders to keep away from anyone who'd make such a bad impression on them. 

Other than that, some students were just scared of her, ever since the day she scared off some bullies who tried to make fun of her and make a scene in front of everyone, it kinda worked, a hilarious scene it was, of Eva yelling at three idiots daring them to stand up against her again, after she had shown them some skills that she gained from facing aliens and surviving in the outer space. The look on their faces as they stumbled to run away from her was _priceless_. 

  
She wasn't that lucky with popularity, neither was she the teachers' favourite.

But did she care?

Not really. 

She really wanted to work into a better, successful and normal life, get better marks, get on the teachers good side, and make her Dad happy in the process. Don has been really worried about her and school, fearing for the future of his only daughter, and Eva did care about it as well, she was taking school seriously, really. But one thing she wasn't very keen about, is changing herself for the sake of what others might think of her. If the cover is how they're gonna judge the book, then it's their loss.   
  
Besides, Eva wasn't that popular and liked around the school, yes, but she was a little bit lucky to gain at least one friend. 

She caught subtle movement from the corner of her eyes and, hoping not to get noticed again, she turned her attention to the left, where another girl of her classmates was seated, dark eyes behind glasses and brown hair in a high bun, Eva noticed how her classmate was eyeing her wrist watch and doing a silent countdown from 5 by her fingers, and when she was done, the loud noise of the bell was heard, the ringing signaling the end of the school day, of which Eva's classmate grinned widely at. 

Eva shook her head playfully, a little smile on her face, she placed her things in her bag and hung it on her shoulder, following suit with the rest of class who began to depart. Mrs. Daniels' voice was still heard through all the babbling and noise of the students who started leaving the classroom, some of them not bothering to hear her reminders of today's homework. Her classmate with the glasses, a girl named Eleanor, came to Eva's side then the two exited the classroom together, having little banter as they walked down the hallways that flooded with other students. 

  
Eva did get a friend after all, Eleanor was able to see into Eva's good side after the tattooed gal saved her from the same jerks of their school, and the two started hanging out since then, found out they also lived a few blocks away from each other. They didn't have a lot in common, but Eva couldn't complain, Eleanor was one of the few good things in school, she was a nice friend who didn't give her judgemental looks, and so far the two got along well, Eva protecting her friend when in need, Eleanor helping Eva with school work. Eleanor loved everything to do about space and astronomy, and that kinda linked to Eva's liking of Star Racing. 

Their friendship was simple, it was something Eva liked, it made her new life better, it was one of the many things she'd hoped for all these years, to feel like a normal kid, with friends they'd invite for sleepovers and hangouts, it felt great to be able to do such simple things after all what she's been through. 

" _"Outside the building"_? Pffft, no!" Eleanor was giggling when she and Eva were outside, walking together towards their homes. It was one of these days when Eva didn't feel the need of her dad to come pick her up, her home wasn't too far away, and she enjoyed the walk when there was company. 

"You looked like you had your mind on another planet!" The girl with the glasses remarked playfully. Eva's eyes widened at how accurate these words sounded, but she quickly played it off with a little laugh and a dismissive wave of her hand. "W- what makes you think so?" For some reason, Eva couldn't help but sound nervous, she knew there was no chance her friend would get a clue about all the faraway adventures, but still the accuracy of that statement caught her off guard. 

Eleanor paid little mind to Eva's nervousness, being rather clueless, and continued so casually. "Oh nothing, I'm just teasing ya! You ought to pay more attention in class tho," The girl readjusted her glasses. "I might have lil' bit of trouble explaining some lessons, you need the teacher's help on that!"   
Eva gave her a quick acknowledging nod, with a small smile and a thumb up. "Will try my best!" Eleanor nodded back with a similar smile, and the two continued their way quietly. 

They walked down the almost deserted pavement, basking in the warmth of that sunny day, Eva gazed at the many scattered clouds that hovered above them, tiny puffy mountains breaking the sun rays and sending soft shadows instead. After a few more minutes of walking and having little conversation, Eva's home came into view, and she waved goodbye to her friend who took a turn on the road, waving back before turning to her own house. 

* * *

"I'm home!" Eva called loudly, stepping inside and quickly taking off her shoes and wearing her pastel pink slippers. She tossed her bag to the nearest big sofa and went farther inside the house, stretching her arms a bit to wear off the stiffness in her muscles.

Her senses picked up a delightfully delicious aroma in the air, making her smile contentedly, the smell of food being cooked coming from the kitchen, and that could only mean one thing! 

Eva's smile widened as she checked the kitchen, finding her father sitting next to a table, calmly sipping tea and going through some work on his laptop. And to her surprise, Rick Thunderbolt himself was there too, standing next to the stove, an apron wrapped around his large frame, his long black locks held up neatly in a bun, he was skillfully tossing and turning some food on a frying pan, the corner of his mouth went up in a friendly smile as he turned to welcome the girl with a small wave of his hand which wasn't busy. "Welcome back little mouse." 

"Rick! So glad you're here!" Eva greeted happily, getting her hair ruffled by the ex-pilot in return, which she tried to playfully protest. "Hey!" 

"Of course kiddo, couldn't bear leaving you alone to endure Don's cooking," Rick smirked and shot a thumb at Don, who eyed him with offended surprise at first, but he quickly turned it into a silent mild glare and took another sip from his cup before speaking up. "My cooking is quite decent, thank you very much." Eva held back a chuckle at these words, while Rick smiled calmly like usual and focused back on the stove. Don turned to his daughter, expression eased a lot with a small smile that graced his features. "How was your day, Eva?"

"Pretty normal," Eva spoke with boredom in her tune, then peeked from behind Rick's big body at the food, trying to get a hint of today's dinner was. She knew whatever it was, it would be amazingly delicious, Rick was a great cook, unlike her dad who had very.. decent skills.

"Almost boring," She continued, her eyes trailing the counter, which was full of other dishes Rick was making, used utensils and containers of many ingredients, a basket of fruit too, which Eva took an apple from. 

"And how was work huh? Is The Fairy still having that cooling system problem?" She asked her dad before taking a bite of the juicy fruit, referring to one of the Wei Race's Star Racers, a ship that was quite the marvel on the track, and one of Eva's favourites to watch in the races. 

"None of the sort, all thanks to your little advice from last visit," Don offered one of his proud, rarely warm smiles at his daughter, quite thankful of the wonderous mechanical help she offered while visiting his work place every once in a while. "The mechanical team managed to deal with the issue and the Star Racer is doing splendidly well." 

"Oh sweet!" Eva bumped her fist in the air enthusiastically. "Did ya hear that Rick? The Fairy is ready to roll! Next race is gonna be so cool!" 

Her excitement about racing has never left her, and whenever time allowed, she'd be out there with Don and Rick, sometimes between from their work base, sometimes between the roaring crowds of fans, watching races, observing ships and getting to meet new pilots, with all the specialties that comes with being Don Wei's daughter of course. And while all that wasn't a match to the real thrill of being inside the cockpit, she was getting such great experience, and even learning new things, and that satisfied her for now. 

Yeah, she was satisfied, knowing very well that she'd never give up until she's back in a Star Racer, until she's able to race and feel that fascinating thrill again. 

Just then, her face lit up even more, at the sight of a freshly baked apple pie sitting on the far end of the counter, close to the window, and she approached it eagerly. 

"Don't think about it kid," Rick said while placing some dishes in the sink, having noticed Eva going for the pie. "No dessert before dinner."   
Eva puffed her cheeks and pouted when Rick came by her side, he placed his large hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her away from the delicious treat. "Out you go, wash up and distract yourself with anythin', dinner will be ready in a few." Don watched them with amusement while sipping his tea.

"Fine I'm going I'm going!" Eva exclaimed dramatically, then laughed and ran out the kitchen, leaving the two men, and especially Don, smiling fondly after her. 

It brought such warmth to him, seeing her smile and hearing her laughter. As hard as the reconciling process between them has been, little moments like these proved to him that they were going on the right track, becoming a loving family again.   
And he couldn't help but be grateful for Rick's presence in the picture as well, who's been like a balancing power and a strong string managing to keep things from falling apart. 

Rick did find a new life, he found his new purpose in training young pilots and helping them achieve their dreams, and became an official coach in the Wei Race, working with Don to give guidance to new racing champions. It granted him such inner peace, such happiness and pride, to see the pilots he's training winning races and basking in the glory of victory, a victory which he very well knew the greatness of, a victory which they achieved with his own help. 

And outside of work, he'd visit the Wei's so often, staying in a guest room that he could almost claim as his now, enjoying their company, and helping them through their struggles as father and daughter. Rick was simply great, knowing exactly how to get through both of them, how to understand them. And while reconciling was something both Eva and Don were very committed to do, it'd have been, and would still be way more tougher without Rick's help, he really was family by now. 

* * *

  
After having a fun meal together, with mostly Eva talking about her weekend plans and Rick and Don being enthusiastic about a grand upcoming racing event, the three made themselves comfortable around the T.V, with Rick and Eva sharing the big sofa while Don sat on his favourite leather seat, all of them with plates of delicious pie slices in their hands.

Everything was fun and games as Rick started the T.V and found them an interesting movie to watch together, it was a regular activity they liked to do when Rick was around, and they managed to make some good banter and discussion about it as well, with Eva and Rick making a bet on who's the twist villain in the movie, winner gets the last slice of pie, and Don complaining about it being such an overused trope. 

But sooner than expected, argument seemed to come out of the blue as they carried on with conversations, between Eva and her dad specifically, and while Rick would usually try to break it up and help them find a middle ground, this specific fight wasn't something he wanted to interfere in, instead he took a backseat and ate his pie silently. 

"A puppy!" 

"A cat." 

"Come on Dad! Cats are sooo boring!" Eva whined at her father, trying to argue her point.   
Don's eyebrows furrowed impatiently, but he still managed to keep his composure. 

"Cats are elegant creatures, they make good company without making a mess." Don argued back, hand going up in exaggeration. "Dogs are rambunctious and ...loud! And .. they drool all around!" The old man made a disgusted face, which was very amusing for Rick, and so was Eva's pout, and he chuckled lightly to himself. 

Ever since a few days, the Wei's agreed that a pet would be a nice addition in their new life, but, as Rick expected, they disagreed on which animal they'd like to bring.   
Eva frowned angrily at her dad then turned to Rick, pointing an accusing fork at him after hearing his laughter. "Rick you're not helping! Can't you just pick one for us?" 

Rick placed his empty plate on the table before them, then raised up his hands defensively. "Sorry little mouse, you two have to sort this one out yourselves, I'm not picking sides." 

"Eva I'm sure you'd understand," Don tried to reason again. "Dogs are playful and hyperactive, they need a lot of time, attention and cleaning. Things which you're not able to offer right now, since you have school to focus on," 

And you can barely clean after your own self, kiddo. Rick commented in his mind. 

"Cats take care of themselves most of the time, all they need is little display of affection every now and then and some toys they can flex their claws on and they'd be perfectly fine." 

Rick raised his eyebrow at Don, being perplexed by the old man's view of pet care. Maybe the two of them weren't ready to have pets yet, maybe he could check it out himself. 

"Alright listen up, how about a little challenge?" Rick interrupted Eva, who was half way through explaining how she'd figure time in her schedule to take care of a puppy. The Wei's looked at him with quirky eyebrows. 

"I'm gonna bring you two something, see if you have it in you to take care of it," Rick explained vaguely. "If it dies in less than a month then you're a loser, winner gets to choose whatever pet they want." 

"I'm ready to beat dad at anything!" Eva grinned mischievously, already accepting the challenge, while Don remained thoughtful about it. 

"What do you say, Don?" 

"While I'm willing to consider it," Don stated, eyed narrowed suspiciously. "What is that you're bringing exactly?" 

  
"A goldfish." 

  
They blinked at him for a few seconds, then Eva fell into laughter, clutching her stomach and almost tearing up. Meanwhile her father didn't appreciate whatever humor Rick was pulling, and he kept his questioning eyebrow up. "This isn't funny Rick, I thought you were being serious." 

"Oh I'm serious, you'll see, old man, you too little mouse, you won't be laughing when that fish is floating belly-up second day it lands in your hands." Rick laid his arm on the back of the sofa comfortably. 

"Oh you're on!" Eva smirked at Rick, then turned to her father with a challenging gaze "And you're going down, dad!" 

"I didn't agree on anything yet," Don replied then turned away from the two, focusing back on his dessert. "It's starting to sound all childish." He mumbled to himself, though not low enough. 

"What was that dad? Scared of defeat?" Eva asked teasingly, curled in the corner of the sofa. 

"Of course not!" Don answered frantically, nervousness evident in him from how his eyebrow twitched, he earned another fit of laughter from his daughter, his pride didn't allow him to back down, and at the end, it did sound like a good idea to determine the best pet owner. 

"Alright alright! I accept." 

Yesss Eva whispered to herself, and their little agreement was concluded with Rick saying he'd give them a week to prepare for the fishes, leaving them confused of why on earth would they need a whole week, and when Don questioned it, Rick told him that he's just lost a little bit of his chance to win, that caught Don off guard, and Eva couldn't help but snicker even more, seeing her father in such a place of subtle bafflement, how Rick always managed to get into him, it was impressive and great fun. They were great. 

Everything was great.

And she was happy. 

But despite the happiness, a lingering feeling creeped slowly into her, something deep, hollow and, above everything, _dark_. It tugged at her heart and forbade her from enjoying these wonderful moments, as though she shouldn't do so at all, she should never embrace her new life, should never bask in that joy. 

Rick stopped his little conversations with Don to glance at Eva, only to find her staring at her plate, looking lost in thoughts, the smile completely wiped off her face. Concerned, he called out to her. "Hey kid, everything alright?" The question caught Don's attention as well, and he gazed at his daughter with similar concern.

"Huh?" The words brought her back, and she looked confused for split a second, before placing her plate on the table and then answering. "I- It's been a long day, I guess I'll call in for the night," She stood up and placed her hands on her hips, her smile returning stronger. "You two should rest as well! I know the tons of work you're getting lately!" And with that, she walked to the stairs, saying goodnight to them on her way up to her room. 

But her attitude didn't help cease their concern, especially Don who still had a lingering worried gaze on the stairs until he heard the click and shut of her door, the man was left with a heavy heart, wondering, what went wrong this time? Was it him again? Was he being rather insensitive? Did he unintentionally hurt her again? 

The man felt a weight on his shoulder, and turned to look up at Rick, who wore a reassuring smile on his face, accompanied with the firm yet comforting grip on his shoulder. It helped ease Don's heart for now. "C'mon, the kid is right, we've got big day awaiting,"   
Rick let go of him and started to collect their empty plates. "Now why don't you help me with these dishes?" 

Don nodded, and the two headed towards the kitchen. 

* * *

  
She entered her dark room and closed the door shut. After a few seconds of fumbling in the dark, she managed to find the switch of her night light, a red colored star that glowed faintly, she liked it, mainly for the aesthetic it gave. 

Then she went for the window, pulling the curtains and opening it, letting the fresh night breeze sweep into her room, making her long bangs move slightly to the wind. 

And she stood there, misty eyes looking down at her own hands which gripped the frame tightly, mind processing what just happened. 

Why? Why did she have to feel like this? It wasn't even a first! The moment she felt her life was finally settling, and that all the pain of the past was finally healing, that feeling would hit, and no matter how many times she tried to push it back and away, it always came back, creeping and clawing at her, making her limbs go cold and her body shiver helplessly. 

She didn't know what to do, how to deal with it, she really wished to know. 

She let go of the window frame to wrap her arms around herself in a makeshift hug, the moonlight illuminated her wistful face as she gazed up at the sky, and she cursed all the earth city lights for not allowing her to see the stars clearly. 

What a breathtaking sight it'd have been, if she were seeing it from the floor of the Earth Team flying module, stargazing with the rest of her team on planet Oban.

Oban…where she's last seen her best friends. 

It's been months now, almost a year since she's heard anything about them, it was worrisome, stressing and most of all, so painful. 

She missed them so much. 

With a heavy sigh, she started to think about Aikka, who was back in his home, Nourasia. She knew that, but god knows if he was alright or not. The Crogs were still out there, those power crazy jerk creatures, and she had no clue what point their invasion have reached by now, or if they weren't making any moves at all, it was all unsettling, to think that Nourasia could possibly be fighting in a war against the Crogs right now, but wouldn't such news reach Earth? She wasn't sure about that either, as far as she knew, Crogs didn't near Earth after the cosmic fireworks that disabled their ships in their battle against the Earth Coalition. She hoped a similar thing happened in Nourasia, and that Crogs would learn their lesson from the defeat of their General Kross in his last race. 

She still hoped that one day she'd be able to reconnect with the prince again, and dare she dream of seeing his kingdom. 

She folded her arms together and rested them on the window, tilting her head slightly. 

Nourasia must be a beautiful place, she'd think whenever her mind went back to sights she's seen in outer space. 

And all what she's seen, all the experiences, all that time, she wasn't alone. 

She had a friend who'd never left her side, a protector who'd look out for her all the time, and sometimes a dense idiot who didn't know how to run his mouth, nor his whole clumsy being, right and ended up cursing himself. 

That last thought got a faint, bittersweet chuckle from her. 

She had Jordan, her partner. 

But now he wasn't any normal human, he became the Avatar, master and protector of the whole galaxy, isolated far away on Oban, having to stay and watch the rest of the Earth team leave for their home, _having to send them away himself_. She could only imagine how hard it must have been for him to do so, and how difficult it is now that he's all alone there, probably getting trained by those Creators to master his new abilities or something. 

Sometimes she wondered, wasn't the Avatar able to be anywhere in the galaxy? Like how Satis was on different planets during the great race? Couldn't her friend buy her a visit? Could his duties take so much of his life, to the point he'd eventually forget her? 

Was he really too busy? 

The thought of never seeing him again paranoid her, but she still had hope, the same hope that kept her going back in her days at Stern's, it was like light at the end of the dark tunnel, and she always fought and endured hard to get there. 

And anyway, she should give her friend some credits, Jordan wasn't the type to simply forget people, right? And she owed it to him, she owed him a lot. After saving her life and, well, the entire galaxy from utter destruction. 

Yeah, he was a true friend, and she believed in him, in the great Avatar he'll become, and the great partner he'd remain, she just needed to give him time, maybe he just needed to adjust to his role? She liked to convince herself. 

Still, it was frustrating really, to not have any interplanetary communication means in hand, to not be able to check on her friends. 

But all that was going to change. 

Eva tore her maroon gaze away from the sky and stepped away from the window, the faint glow of her night light guided her eyes to the small table in her room, where a laptop and a few other school things were left, and next to them was a small grey suitcase, propped up, waiting to be used for the first time. 

Her eyebrows furrowed in determination, yes, it was all going to change, in time, soon enough, she was sure.

Patience was all that she needed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are you up to, Eva? 
> 
> Hello dear readers! That's about it for the first chapter of this Jordeva fic! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Next chapter we're gonna take a look on the young Avatar, let's hope he's doing alright.


	2. Lonesome Struggles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It appears the new Avatar isn't doing too well by himself. 
> 
> (Psst, give "Secret like Sul" a rewatch to enjoy the details more!)

_"Eons ago, that fountain was created,"_

_"For centuries it helped many an Avatar in various ways,"_

_"With the white magic that runs in its water."_

_"Even after the reign of the Avatar who have built it ended, every master of Oban treasured it,"_

_"You must do so as well, and use it's magic in the rightful way."_

_"As long as it doesn't interfere with your duties."_

_"Satis, for an instance, used to harness its power as a mean of alarm,"_

_"Keeping grasp of his prisoner's state."_

_"How it works, is up to you to find out."_

"Wait- what?" 

**_"It's a part of your training, like every Avatar before you."_ **

_"You may leave now."_

* * *

"Oh great," The Avatar let out a defeated huff, shoulders a little slumped as he walked his way through the green grounds of his flying temple. 

His daily session of lessons with the Creators was over, and it left him a little frustrated, with the "homework" he was supposed to do. As if understanding magical and cosmic concepts from creatures who thought too high of themselves wasn't frustrating and hard enough. 

But who was he to complain? 

He was the Avatar, but he was still training, and thought better to follow orders, for now. 

He scratched the back of his head absentmindedly, fuzzy brows furrowed hard as he thought about today's task, grumpily questioning why couldn't those light sphere ghosts just tell him how to make that weird fountain work. He's never bothered to think about it, finding a fountain with glowing water in his temple was an odd thing at first, but learning everything about Oban? And seeing other sights in the galaxy that normal humans wouldn't even dream of? It made him almost lose the ability to be amazed, and he was already the type lacking the sense of adventure and the curiosity to face the unknown. Soon enough he grew unimpressed of many spectacles, those on Oban being the least impressive. 

As annoyed by the Creators as he was, he was already worn out by the amount of information he's received today, and simply didn't have the energy to be infuriated for long, knowing that it'd get him nowhere. 

Jordan closed his eyes, took in a long, deep breath, then let it out slowly, easing his riled up nerves. His hand fell from his head and to his side, and after a moment his golden irises opened up again, he lazily turned around, gazing at the sky in an attempt to figure out what time of the day it was. 

Large rays of warm orange sunlight were filling the temple through the big circular openings here and there, shadows started to cover most of the place, and the sky was painted with various hues of orange and faint red and dark purple, glimmering stars started to peek from the tips of the view, indicating the beginning of the night. 

The Avatar walked towards one of the temple openings and settled himself there against the big curved wall, trying to bask in today's last rays of sunshine, and feel a little bit of warmth after spending long hours in the chilly stiffness of the Temple of the Heart, where the Creators would usually show up to teach him. 

He gazed at the view blankly, unable to appreciate the beauty of Oban, it began to feel dull as ever, so did his life. 

Which had been mostly like that for him after becoming The Avatar, getting lectures from the Creators, travelling around and learning about Oban, training to master his new abilities. Wash, rinse and repeat.

Dealing with the Creators was almost the worst part of his new life on Oban, one would think they'd go a little easy on someone who wasn't meant to be Avatar in the first place, instead they got worse, they were unsatisfied with him almost all the time, every little slip up or delay on his part and they'd get furious and utterly frustrated with him, these were a few of the emotions their kind was able to express, and they didn't hesitate at all to do so whenever they got the chance, all while raising their naturally intimidating echoing voices, collectively and harshly. 

_"Saving the galaxy wasn't enough, I guess,"_

Jordan would tell himself every now and then, he couldn't believe how prideful they thought of themselves, finding no error in the way they treated him or the whole situation, ignoring the fact that none of this would have happened if they knew better than to serve all the powers of the Avatar on a silver plate to whoever reached that stupid pyramid first. 

Save for mere guidance and strict teaching, they didn't help him at all, not even in the very first moment he became Avatar, their blunt orders and straightforward instructions failed terribly at easing the uncertain, overwhelmed and absolutely frightened mess he was. He had to take his time to let everything sink then put himself together, and he managed to, even if it didn't last for long back then.

They irked him to levels no one else ever did, not even Don Wei! 

He knew very well that they could not physically force him to do anything, they had zero power over almost everything, they were mere ghosts, but these ghosts managed to drain him emotionally. In a way, it felt like the Space Academy all over again, where almost everyone would judge him and treat him awfully just because of where he comes from, the name Wilde being the reason at that time, and not what he was really made of. 

And it's not like Jordan was slacking, he was trying his hardest, adapting as fast as he could, keeping up with his duties while taking hours and hours of training. But while his new role released him from some human needs like sleeping or eating, giving him much more time to focus, his mind still functioned the same way, and he could only take in too much before reaching his limit, thus the need of a break every now and then remained present, for the sake of his sanity. 

The last ray of sunshine swiftly disappeared in the horizon, letting the various moons of Oban shine brightly in the dark of the night, and across the many moons and stars, Jordan could spot one of the newest planets, glimmering like a shooting star as it made its way through the vacuum of space and to the far end of the galaxy, where it'd be positioned.

For the first time that day, a smile came to the Avatar's face, small but genuine. Watching new planets emerging into outer space brought him a sense of positivity, seeing those shooting stars in the night sky assured him that Oban was processing normally, that the Mother Planet was doing its role alright, and if so, then why wouldn't he be doing alright, too? The whole planet relies on him, that's what the Creators stated _several_ times. _"Oban will die without an Avatar."_ And if Oban was okay, then Jordan didn't need to worry about messing up, not yet at least. And that relieved him a little bit from the stress the Creators forced upon him. 

His eyes fell to the far ground beneath his flying temple, and on cue, sounds began to raise from there, the collective song of the Drudgers, with their loud vibrating voices. Between the trees which swayed slightly to the wind, the Avatar could see the golden glow that came from a group of these creatures as they crossed the land, most likely heading to build a new temple. Jordan thought they looked like a swarm of golden fireflies. 

It took him time, but he grew fond of these creatures, finally learning how completely harmless they are, he learnt other things too, how they have a strong connection to Oban and the many other living beings on the planet, and to life in general, that's why they seemed so happy when the Mother Planet was reborn and a new Avatar came to be. Unlike the Creators, they took him positively, and hearing their song made him feel peaceful, almost happy. 

It was odd, to have a living planet and some creatures on it be his source of comfort, but in his case, he'd take whatever life gave him. 

Plus, stargazing at the new planets, and hearing the Drudgers song, these are things which never failed to bring memories, good ones. 

With his leg propped up and his arm leaning on it, Jordan rested his head against the stone wall, closing his eyes and just sitting there still, the breeze played with his dark hair, and the Drudgers song kept coming in the calmness of the night, a part of him debated whether he could treat himself into some sleep, but the feelings which bubbled up inside him said otherwise. 

_"Listen, do you hear that? It's those creatures...they're singing again…"_

The familiar atmosphere took its toll, and the memories began to flood back to him.

_"It's strange, the tremors didn't scare them, they sound...peaceful, almost happy…"_

But why did these good memories need to sting like this? 

How long has it been anyways? Months? Did a year pass already? Was calling these memories "old" an exaggeration alright? Days and months and the way time works in general have caused him great confusion ever since he's settled on Oban, but one way or another, he felt as if it's been ages since he has last seen his friends, or his family, or his home… 

Or his partner… 

The peaceful expression on his face twisted, pained lines creasing his face once his eyes were open again. 

How much he wished his mind wouldn't drift to her so often like that. 

He could still remember her words, the memory of her smile as she talked about the Drudgers back during the events of the Great Race, still fresh in his mind, _every_ memory of her was still fresh in his mind, her amazing smile, her soft laughter, her deep wonderful eyes that made his heart flutter whenever they locked with his own. 

How easy it was to smile when she was around. Just thinking about her made the scorching longing in his heart ignite again. 

All what they've been through, all the highs and lows of their friendship, all what they've seen and experienced together, all of which was unforgettable to him. Just like her.

Until the day she had to go, everyone else as well, the Earth Team, the other pilots, all except for him, he had to stay, and only hope he's sent them home safely, he tried his best to stay all together back then, putting all of his effort and concentration onto managing the Avatar ships, he wasn't even able to say a proper goodbye to his friends despite the huge urge to do so. 

And the moment the ships were all out of sight, his composure shattered. A single tear was the first to break through the dam, allowing many to follow afterwards.

As much as he liked to say that he was over this pain, that the long time he's spent on Oban should be enough to let any wounds heal, it simply wasn't the truth. His Avatar training helped to distract him for long periods of time, but whenever it was over, he'd fall back into that utter isolation, and the bleak and drear loneliness would engulf him, which didn't help him the slightest bit. 

He missed the simplest of human things, the company of sentient emotional beings like himself, banter and chatter, normal daily routine, school and homework, fun and games. The city lights, noise of the crowds, the little and big things.

He missed his family, the warm hugs of his mother, the proud smile of his father, the mischievous chuckles of his little siblings. And a lot of times he'd wonder, what are they doing now? Are things still the same without him around? And did they miss him as much? 

And he'd ask similar questions about his old teammates, wondering if they've ever thought about him ever since they've left Oban. Worst part is that he couldn't find out yet, an Avatar enjoys many powers, but Jordan was yet to master all that magical stuff, if it was up to him, he'd be back on Earth in a flash, but he couldn't, it was very wrong to think that way whatsoever, and learning how to use Avatar magic was the hardest part to him anyway. 

He was a bit lucky to spot the temple which the Earth Team last landed on, and inside he found all their stuff, which helped him a lot considering the planet was completely isolated from any signs of civilization. And among the old things, he was excited to find Don wei's Hologram Device suitcase, a possible way to connect him with Earth, but his excitement faded quickly as he realized the many ways using it could go wrong.

He kept the device anyway, hoping that it'd come to use someday, but as optimistic as he was, anxiety never left him reassured, making him nervously question if anyone's ever going to reach out to him.

Could it be, that one day he'd be completely forgotten? 

So lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice when the Drudgers song came to an end. 

Could Molly have forgotten him? 

Jordan sat upright and clapped his hands against his cheeks a couple of times, shaking himself from these thoughts. No, he couldn't let himself spiral down like that, he was doing all this for a reason, he couldn't let everyone down, not when the galaxy relied on him to keep going, he had to keep going, even if the struggle was endless, he couldn't give up, he doesn't have a choice anyway. 

It doesn't matter if his existence no longer mattered to anyone, and it certainly doesn't matter if believing so tore his heart to pieces. That was a price he chose to pay, a price to save and protect those who mattered to him. 

A price he paid so that Molly wouldn't have to. 

Not in a million Avatar lifetimes would he ever want her to be the Avatar, to be isolated and alone on a planet thousands of light years away from everything she knew, taking on duties far beyond the strength of human. He felt so stupid remembering all the times he treated the Avatar role as a joke or something so casual like a job on Earth. 

He let out a heavy sigh, his gaze going up to starry skies again.

He missed her so much, but as much as he hated being separated from her, he was happy to know that she was safe, as far as he knew. As much as he wished to be able to protect her by being at her side like how he used to be, it stirred his stagnant soul to remember that he's saved her from such dire fates. 

As much as he loved her, he had to be strong for her. 

With all that in mind, he moved and got up, deciding to go investigate that fountain the Creators talked about. 

* * *

  
  


A small sphere of light hovered high above Jordan's head, and it lit up his way as he walked through the dark underground of his temple, between a lot of pillars and small round gates which led to other rooms and secret passages. 

His goal was straight ahead though, he knew from the blue light that peeked from one of the gates. Slowly, he entered the area of the fountain, and the light above his head disappeared, replaced by the dazzling glow that came from the flowing water of the fountain. 

His golden eyes fell curiously on the magical craft as he neared it, his footsteps echoing on the smooth dark tiled ground. He wondered what to do now, considering that the Creators gave him no hints. How was he supposed to make the fountain "work" when he didn't know what exactly it'd do? 

He lifted his gloved hand up and ran it on the base of the pool, circling around it. Neither the stone nor the water reacted to his touch, leaving him even more perplexed. He placed his hands on his sides, an annoyed huff escaping his lips, and after a moment of thinking it over, he decided to climb up, see if there was something there that could help him. 

He took a few steps back, then sprinted towards the fountain, jumping with a small yelp when it was close enough, his arms grasped the frame of the pool while half his body was hanging off it, he gritted his teeth and pushed himself up with much effort, almost slipping and falling down. "Ya couldn't place it higher than that now could you-" He complained sarcastically, but luckily he was able to balance himself and his feet made it to the tip of the pool. 

Sitting on the balls of his feet, he was finally able to look inside the fountain pool, expecting to find a rocky surface or something of the like, but what he found made his head spin and his posture stumble. 

"What the-" Jordan cranked his neck to take a better look at the pool, or what he thought was a pool, instead he found a very deep well, nearly bottomless.

The boy gulped in dread, he could swear this pool looked no more than a couple feets deep! He huffed again, and his nervousness wore off when he remembered the fact that he was technically immortal, and a dreadful fall isn't something he should worry about. He scratched his head thoughtfully, fuzzy brows creasing, trying to figure out a next step. 

With a hopeful hum, he opened the palm of his hand and created another small sphere of light, he decided to try and indicate the depth of the fountain, and with a swift move of his fingers the light was lowered into the water, sinking further and further down the pool, the Avatar frowned as the light blurred in the glow of the waters, until it was completely invisible down there, the pool was endless. 

For a while, he sat there, arms laid on his knees, gazing down at the water, utterly clueless of what to do. 

The sound of flowing water in the calmness would have been quite soothing for him, had the heaviness in his heart allowed it. 

His reflection stared back at him, bright golden eyes, missing the glint that used to reside in his previous insanely black ones. His hair that used to be split black and bleached blonde was now completely dark, the bright color having been replaced with time. He was a rather different person, now if only he was a better one. 

But what a pathetic excuse of an Avatar he was. 

Something large, bright and swift suddenly came into the reflection picture, startling the Avatar from his clouded state, to the point he lost balance and took a fall to the hard ground, a loud yell followed by a big thud, and the boy was flat on the floor, wincing in pain. 

It didn't last for long though, thanks to his new Avatar invincibility. He pushed himself to a sitting position, head turning up to find the mysterious intruder. Just then, his expression softened, it wasn't hard to spot the big magical creature, it was the great golden ray which lived in the depth of the temple. 

"H- hey there big guy," The boy greeted kindly, crossing his legs and placing his hands on them, almost looking childish while smiling up at the ray. The creature didn't respond however, it continued to flap its large fins and float in big circles over the Avatar. 

While training to expand his mental and specifically telepathic abilities, Jordan found out why a huge glowing ray lived in his temple, it was a companion of Satis, a very dear friend actually. 

And ever since the previous Avatar passed away, Jordan would meet the ray every now and again, and somehow, he could tell how wistful it felt sometimes, maybe it was the slow movement of the ray, or the long anguished croons that would vibrate from the creature, that was the case tonight apparently. 

One way or another, he knew they shared similar struggles. 

"It's okay big guy," Jordan spoke to the creature through a small sad smile, voice hushed and soft. It was an attempt to comfort it, and maybe comfort himself as well, he really couldn't tell. 

"I miss my friends too." 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My boy needs a hug. All the warm hugs.  
> Hope you liked my take on exploring the Avatar life! And apologize for all the sad, next chapter is more fun I promise! 
> 
> Thank you sm for reading! 💝


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